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Non-Chemical Weed Management Workshop |
The Non-Chemical Weed Management workshop was developed and is presented by myself Dr Charles 'Merf' Merfield. It has expanded from an hours presentation in the early 2000s to a full day workshop giving a comprehensive overview of non-chemical weed management. It is run annually alternating between the South Island (at Lincoln University) and the North Island (various locations). The 2025 workshop will most likely be in Lincoln. If you want to be notified of the next workshop please email me at and I will notify you when the next one is announced. The information below gives an outline of the workshop.
I am an international academic and practitioner of non-chemical weed management and the leading scientist and consultant in Aotearoa New Zealand. I am also head of the BHU Future Farming Centre and Merfield Agronomy Ltd. plus co-owner and director of PhysicalWeeding. I have over 50 publications on non-chemical weed management including peer reviewed papers and book chapters, conference proceedings and extension publications including though leader articles on the future of weed management. For example, 'Redefining weeds for the post-herbicide era' and 'Could the dawn of Level 4 robotic weeders facilitate a revolution in ecological weed management?' See my research page and the FFC website for more examples and additional information. I was also the OrganicNZ 2024 Organic Leader of the year for excellence in science communication.
I have more than 30 years practical experience in non-chemical weed management. I started my weed management journey helping re-establish Sunnyfields organic vegetable farm in the UK after the previous manager had walked off having lost his war with the weeds. In a sink or swim moment, I devised a new weed management strategy which turned around the weed problem in just two years. From the UK I came to Aotearoa New Zealand for a working holiday from which I am very unlikely to return. In NZ I worked extensively at Harts Creek Farm in Canterbury developing their organic weed management systems across multiple farms.
I have also invented, designed and built a wide range of weeding machinery including an optimised naturally aspirated flame weeder, re-invented the direct-fired steam boiler and repurposed it for ag / horticultural use, the 4 Wheel Hoe, false seedbed cultivators, interrow hoes, basket weeders and even a new toolbar clamp!
The primary audience is horticultural and cropping / arable farmers & growers as it is these production systems that have the largest challenge with weeds. Perennial crop (e.g. vines, apples) producers will also benefit with one section dedicated to perennial crops (see below). There is some benefit for livestock / pasture systems in terms of the overall concepts of non-chemical and integrated weed management plus herbicide resistance. Consultants and advisors working with farmer and grower clients, particularly in cropping, will gain considerable benefit, especially regarding the latest technologies. Scientists, especially those working on the transition away from agrichemicals, will gain valuable insights.
The content assumes a reasonable level of understanding and practical experience of commercial agriculture and horticulture systems including weed management.
This is a really full on and intense workshop - bring your thinking head!
Please note the workshop is In person only there is no online version.
The primary audience is cropping (horticulture and arable) farmers & growers as it is these production systems that have the largest challenge with weeds. Perennial crop (e.g. vines, apples) producers will also benefit with one section dedicated to perennial crops (see below). For anyone dealing with herbicide resistant weeds, this workshop is the start of your solution. There are also some benefits for livestock / pasture systems in terms of the overall concepts of non-chemical and integrated weed management. Consultants and advisors working with farmer and grower clients, particularly in cropping, will gain considerable benefit, especially regarding the latest technologies. Scientists, especially those dealing with herbicide resistance and working on the transition to non-chemical weed management, will gain valuable insights.
The content assumes a reasonable level of understanding and practical experience of commercial agriculture and horticulture systems including weed management.
This is a really full on and intense workshop - bring your thinking head! Plenty of caffeine is provided!
The day gives a systematic overview of non-chemical weed management, providing information on the changing context of weed management, the fundamentals of weed biology and ecology as they relate to weed management, through to practical know-how of tools and techniques that farmers and growers can use themselves. See below for more detail on the topics covered. Due to the huge size of the topic this is 'only' an overview and cannot get into the detailed of non-chemical weed management in every crop. Specific issues can be discussed in the many Q&A sessions.
Attendees will be given a colour hardcopy booklet containing all the presentation slides (in handout format). Attendees can also download PDF versions of the presentations after the workshop.
"Great overview and backed up by robust science"
"Highly useful, time to implement theory into practice"
"At the cutting edge"
"Enthusiastic presenter"
"Great discussions"
Below are the topics covered. There are lots of Q&A and discussion breaks throughout and between the main sessions.
The workshop is theory only. Unless any machinery companies have some weeders they want to display at the workshop.
Part 1: The Big Picture: A Little Context
Context - weed management under planetary crises
Context - the changing attitudes to weeds
Redefining weeds for the post-herbicide era
The new soil health paradigm of plant root exudates
Discussion / questions and answers
Integrated weed management (IWM), how herbicide and non-chem. weed management relate
Discussion / questions and answers
The ESR concept of system redesign
Discussion / questions and answers
Part 2: Herbicide resistance
Global herbicide resistance
NZ herbicide resistance
How herbicide resistant weeds occur
Where do they come from?
Herbicide resistance risk factors
Beating herbicide resistance
How do I know if I have herbicide resistant weeds?
Discussion / questions and answers
Part 3: Think like a weed: key biological and ecological knowledge
Lifecycles and morphology
Seeds, seeding and dormancy
Discussion / questions and answers
The weed seed bank - the ‘root’ of the problem
The ‘bud based perspective’
Dedifferentiation - zombie plants
Therophytes
Discussion / questions and answers
Part 4: Doing it in the field - the weed management hierarchy
Just how good it can get!
The non-chemical weed management hierarchy
Weed seed rain - stopping it
Discussion / questions and answers
Harvest weed seed control (HWSC)
Rotations what they can and can’t do for weed management
Discussion / questions and answers
The relevance, and lack of relevance, of soil conditions inc nutrient status for weed management
Discussion / questions and answers
The role of crop and pasture choice and grazing management
Discussion / questions and answers
Part 5: Plants vs. weeds
Diversity is the answer
Plant mixtures are the answer
Discussion / questions and answers
Service (cover) crops - all the different types
Plants vs. weeds in perennial crops: Living mulches and diverse pasture
Discussion / questions and answers
Part 6: Plants vs. weeds in perennial crops
The death zone has gotta go!
Alleyway vs crop row
Underground plant interactions
An agroecological solution
Discussion / questions and answers
Part 7: Doing it in the field - Pre-emergence weeding
Pre-crop-emergence weeding (tillage)
False and stale seedbeds
Thermal weeders - flame, steam and electrical weeders
Sowing, planting & related techniques
Nutrient placement and timing
Discussion / questions and answers
Part 8: Doing it in the field: Post-emergence weeding - Contiguous weeders
How mechanical weeders kill
Row spacing and un-hoed area
Crop weeder hierarchy
Contiguous weeders: spring tine weeder, spoon weeder, Einböck Aerostar-Rotation, Combcut
Discussion / questions and answers
Part 9: Doing it in the field: Electrical weeders and perennial crop weeders
Electrical weed management - our get out of jail card
Electrical weeder companies
Electrical weed management theory
Discussion / questions and answers
Perennial crops - mechanical weeders
Perennial crops - thermal weeders including electric weeders
Discussion / questions and answers
Part 10: Doing it in the field: Robotic weeders
The robot revolution is here!
There are robots and robots: The four levels of robotic weeders
Level 4 robots - true ecological weed management?
Discussion / questions and answers
Part 11: Doing it in the field: Incontiguous weeders
Accurate setup
Guidance systems
Modern parallelogram based (inter)row-hoes
Brush hoes, basket weeders and vertical axis
Pedestrian wheel hoes
Ridge weeders
Discussion / questions and answers
Part 12: Doing it in the field: Intrarow weeding, and harvest weed seed control
Non-discriminatory intrarow weeders: Mini ridgers, finger weeders, and more
Discriminatory intrarow weeders: Level 2 robotic weeders
Selective thermal weeding
Harvest weed seed control (HWSC)
Hand weeding
Final discussion / questions and answer